Long Ball Paces Softball to Two Wins Saturday - Michigan State University Athletics (2024)

ARLINGTON, Texas – Michigan State softball's offense was rolling for the second-straight day on Saturday as the Spartans took down Boise State (8-5) and UT Arlington (9-1) on day two of the Maverick Invitational.

MSU is now 4-0 on the weekend and improves to 4-5 overall on the season. Michigan State's offense hit .354 on the day (22-for-62) with six home runs. The Spartans have now hit 13 home runs this weekend.

Game One – Michigan State 8, Boise State 5

Junior Madison Taylor started in the circle and took a no decision, striking out three in 3.1 innings of work. Earning the win was junior Faith Guidry (1-1) who struck out two and allowed just one hit over 3.2 frames. Senior Ashlyn Roberts also pitched in relief.

Michigan State posted another big offensive performance with 12 hits and eight runs going against the reigning National Pitcher of the Week, Taylor Caudill. Senior Alexis Ross led the Spartans with three hits, while sophom*ore Hannah Hawley, freshman Jaeya Butler and junior Macy Lee each added two. Butler and Lee homered, with Ross, Hawley and sophom*ore Sydney Doloszycki reaching on doubles. Freshman Payton Conroy put herself on base twice with a single and a walk.

Taylor staved off several Bronco threats early on, including a bases loaded situation in the first that ended in a Taylor strikeout. Boise State broke through first however, scoring on a single to short in the third inning.

A Conroy walk and a perfectly placed bunt single by Ross put two runners on with two outs for Hawley in the home half of the third. Hawley came through in the clutch for MSU rocketing a single up the middle to score both runners and give the Spartans a 2-1 lead. Hawley's two RBI on Saturday ties her career best.

Boise State gained an advantage in the fourth scoring four runs to lead Michigan State, 5-2.

The top of MSU's batting order continued to do work in the fifth, with base hits by Ross and Hawley setting the stage for Butler. Butler sent an 0-1 pitch over the center field fence to tie the game at 5-5, her second home run of the weekend.

Guidry settled in and pitched scoreless fifth, sixth and seventh frames to hold the Broncos at bay while the Spartan offense heated up. Doloszycki led off the bottom of the seventh with a double to put one runner in scoring position for MSU. Butler later drew an intentional walk due to her continued strong performance this weekend.

With two on in the bottom of the seventh, Lee powered a ball over the center field fence to walk it off with a three-run shot. It was Lee's first home run of the season and the third of her career. Her three RBI on Saturday is a new personal best.

Game Two – Michigan State 9, UT Arlington 1

Senior Liv Grey (2-3) made her second start of the weekend in game two and struck out nine in six innings. Grey threw five scoreless frames, allowing just one earned run on four hits. Junior Madison Taylor relieved Grey in the seventh and struck out a pair of Maverick batters.

Michigan State's offense kept up the momentum from game one, scoring nine runs on 10 hits (six extra-base). Sophom*ore's Hannah Hawley and Britain Beshears each finished the game with three hits. Hawley doubled and homered, while Beshears hit a pair of home runs for the second straight day. Freshman Payton Conroy hit her first career home run late and was second on the team with three RBI to Beshears' four. Also with hits were freshman Jaeya Butler, junior Macy Lee and senior Collette Allen.

Beshears broke the scoreless stretch in the fourth, slugging her third home run of the weekend to put MSU up 2-0. UTA got one back in the bottom of the fourth after a trio of singles pushed a run across.

Take a look back at the fourth home run of the season (and third of the weekend) for Britain Beshears!#GoGreen | #SpartanUp pic.twitter.com/XF8F91COdq

— MSU Softball (@MSU_Softball) February 17, 2024

A two-out rally saw the Spartans take a 5-1 lead in the sixth. Allen drew and walk and senior AJ Militello was hit by a pitch to put Conroy up to bat. Conroy unloaded on the first pitch she saw and placed it over the center field fence for her first career home run.

Payton Conroy put this one out on the cricket pitch!#GoGreen | #SpartanUp pic.twitter.com/3WxEKLz4TG

— MSU Softball (@MSU_Softball) February 17, 2024

Another big inning saw Michigan State extend its lead to 9-1 in the seventh. Hawley hit a homer of the solo variety to start things. After a double by Butler, Lee singled down the left field line to put another run on the board. With one on after the Lee single, Beshears smashed her second home run of the game to extend MSU's advantage.

Here's Hannah Hawley's long ball from earlier in the seventh!#GoGreen | #SpartanUp pic.twitter.com/W71M8vDXkp

— MSU Softball (@MSU_Softball) February 17, 2024

Coming in to close things out, Taylor induced a weak grounder before striking out the final two batters of the game.

Back-to-back multi-homer days for Brit Beshears! She's up to four this weekend and five on the season which ranks second in the B1G.#GoGreen | #SpartanUp pic.twitter.com/ZEGHM2EaFN

— MSU Softball (@MSU_Softball) February 17, 2024

Up Next
Michigan State concludes its time in Arlington with a single game against Boise State at 10:00 a.m. on Sunday, Feb. 18.